By Edward Acquah
Accra, Feb. 5, GNA – Only six percent of candidates for the upcoming Council of State elections are women, figures released by the Electoral Commission (EC) have revealed.
Of the 155 individuals who have picked nomination forms to contest the elections, 10 are women, while the remaining 145 are men.
The elections, which will select regional representatives to the Council of State, are scheduled to take place across all regional capitals on Tuesday, February 11, 2024.
The electoral college comprises two representatives from each of the districts in the region nominated by the District Assemblies in the region.
The 30-member Council of State serves as an advisory body to the President, Ministers of State, Parliament, and other public agencies to ensure responsible and accountable governance.
Data released by the Electoral Commission (EC) reveals that no women have expressed interest in contesting the upcoming Council of State elections in the Greater Accra, Volta, Western North, Bono East, Oti, Upper West, Savannah, Northern, North East, and Upper East Regions.
The Eastern Region has recorded the highest number of female aspirants, with three women picking nomination forms.
In the Western and Ashanti Regions, two women have expressed interest in each, while the Central, Ahafo, and Bono Regions each have one female candidate.
The low representation of women in leadership and governance in Ghana has raised concerns, particularly in elected offices.
Of the 275 Members of Parliament in Ghana’s Ninth Parliament, only 41 are women, with one constituency still to elect a representative.
Despite the recent passage of the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Act 2024, aimed at addressing gender disparities, concerns have emerged regarding the allocation of resources to effectively implement the law.
Abantu for Development, an international organisation focused on women’s empowerment, has called for stronger commitment from political parties to ensure the law’s effective enforcement.
The organization has advocated for gender equity in government appointments.
“We are expecting that those who are going to rule us from 2025 would respect the provisions of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act and reserved 30 percent of all appointments for women,” Mrs Hamida Harrison, Executive Director of Abantu and a leading member of the Women’s Manifesto Coalition, told the Ghana News Agency ahead of the 2024 General Election.
GNA